Market Research From a Double Perspective
As with anything in this great country of ours there are choices: Hotdog vs. Hamburger, Beer vs. Wine, Boxers vs. Briefs. Our world is made up of choices and competition. Competition is healthy for business because it pushes companies to their limits, all chasing after the consumer's business. As we embark in the 21st century, an era of technology, with our high speed internet, PDA's, and other such worldly advances, it is no surprise that market research has evolved to the time. In the 1980's and prior focus groups and surveys were only available in person and in real time. However, in today's day and age there has been a dramatic shift towards the internet. Focus groups have become online chats, surveys have are now hosted on websites, and the whole world has gone digital. In this article, we will explore the positives and the negatives of market research in the digital age.
There is something to be said about a focus group in an online chat, there can be an abundant amount of participants from varying walks of life, demographics and other such viable data. The data extracted from a focus group with 100 or more participants holds a great value to a business; the business will receive a very well rounded set of responses to varying degrees. Response time is cut in half and results are able to be populated and analyzed more rapidly, equating to faster key decisions. Surveys are also being sent out to participants in mass amounts via the internet. Why is this good? This is good because it allows the participants more time to contemplate their answer, which will presumably provide a more factual answer. A varied response will be received as well, due to the mass number of possible applicants filling out an online survey the response rate will be very high and diverse, two words any market researcher loves to hear. Another added benefit of online focus groups and market research studies is that in order for the participant to receive their reward they must produce either a video or photographs documenting their findings, proving that they participated in the study. This is a valuable piece of data, why? Because unlike a "surreal" environment where the consumer tests products, if the consumer is placed in a real environment under real conditions, the data collected will be more valid.
Judging from the above statements, online market research appears to be a very efficient method to collecting data. However, there are several negatives to resorting to this type of information collection.
Problem A » Although there are numerous participants in these focus groups and online surveys, their responses may not all be factual. Often times, participants are simply desiring the reward or benefit of a survey or focus group, thus skewing the results, which causes more harm than good.
Solution: When providing incentives for online focus groups and online surveys, make it clear to the consumer that the way they answer the survey has no bearing on their potential to win a reward; in addition it is helpful to present rewards based on a lottery system (enter for a chance to win) instead of providing each user a reward.
Problem B » Misrepresentation - Along with the providing of false data and harming the study, many participants may enter multiple times under different aliases.
Solution: When doing online focus groups and/or online surveys use a unique ID per project, per user. This way each user will get a unique ID for the survey and users wont be able to participate several times under a different alias.
Problem C » Lack of personal appeal- Focus groups were meant to be conducted in person. Part of the reasoning behind that is to capture body language and initial reactions to the product or service. When focus groups shift to an online study body language cannot be observed. Many market researchers' base a large degree of their findings on body language and have to modify their findings.
Solution: For certain projects and very targeted focus groups, it is better to do pre-screeners online and if necessary do a small follow up face to face, this way you can pre-screen large amounts of data online for a fraction of the cost and in less time and you can reduce the amount of participants that need to be present for a final study.
Although conducting a study online allows for more participants from varying geographical, racial, and financial backgrounds, if they are not factual and no body language can be determined, how valuable is the study?
Conclusion
In conclusion, I feel that technology is great. It is a valuable resource in our world today. Technology brings to life many businesses and connects people around the world almost instantly. However, with every piece of good there is also bad. While there is no controlling how people answer questions to a survey or in a focus group, without the advancement of technology their answers would be more factual and body language could be expressed. Is this a catch 22? Like most parts of life, everything is double sided, and has a pros and cons. We assess our needs and what will make our business stronger and go from there. So whether you are seeking a larger sample size or more accurate data, both can be attainable in today's world.